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Bona fide source

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

The most feasible and practical way to open the path of salvation or get relief from all miseries of life is to hear submissively the transcendental activities of the Lord from the right and bona fide sources.
SB 1.5.32, Purport:

Śrī Nārada Muni personally experienced that the most feasible and practical way to open the path of salvation or get relief from all miseries of life is to hear submissively the transcendental activities of the Lord from the right and bona fide sources. This is the only remedial process. The entire material existence is full of miseries. Foolish people have manufactured, out of their tiny brains, many remedial measures for removing the threefold miseries pertaining to the body and mind, pertaining to the natural disturbances and in relation with other living beings. The whole world is struggling very hard to exist out of these miseries, but men do not know that without the sanction of the Lord no plan or no remedial measure can actually bring about the desired peace and tranquillity.

SB Canto 3

Merely to be twice-born is not perfection. Perfection is attained when one hears the pastimes and activities of the Lord from a bona fide source.
SB 3.19.33, Purport:

Sūta Gosvāmī was speaking to the sages headed by Śaunaka, and therefore he addressed them in this verse as dvija, twice-born. The sages assembled in Naimiṣāraṇya hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam from Sūta Gosvāmī were all brāhmaṇas, but to acquire the qualifications of a brāhmaṇa is not everything. Merely to be twice-born is not perfection. Perfection is attained when one hears the pastimes and activities of the Lord from a bona fide source.

One should be very eager to hear about the activities of the Lord from the bona fide source, the pure devotee.
SB 3.19.37, Purport:

Anyone who hears about the pastimes of the Lord associates with the Lord directly, and one who associates directly with the Lord is certainly freed from all sinful activities, even to the extent of the killing of a brāhmaṇa, which is considered the most sinful activity in the material world. One should be very eager to hear about the activities of the Lord from the bona fide source, the pure devotee. If one simply gives aural reception to the narration and accepts the glories of the Lord, then he is qualified. The impersonalist philosophers cannot understand the activities of the Lord. They think that all His activities are māyā; therefore they are called Māyāvādīs. Since everything to them is māyā, these narrations are not for them. Some impersonalists are reluctant to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, although many of them are now taking an interest in it just for monetary gain. Actually, however, they have no faith. On the contrary, they describe it in their own way. We should not hear, therefore, from the Māyāvādīs. We have to hear from Sūta Gosvāmī or Maitreya, who actually present the narrations as they are, and only then can we relish the pastimes of the Lord; otherwise the effects on the neophyte audience will be poisonous.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Dvija-bandhu means who has not perfected his knowledge by hearing from the bona fide source. He is called dvija-bandhu.
Lecture on SB 7.5.1, Pandal Lecture -- Bombay, January 12, 1973:

Śrotriyam means the guru must be (an) expert who has heard from his bona fide spiritual master. That's śrotriyam, not śaukram. Śaukram means generation by semina. And śrotriyam, generation by hearing from the bona fide spiritual master. Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. After hearing, one must be firmly fixed up in brahma-jñāna. Brahma-niṣṭham. This is called śrotriyam.

So dvija-bandhu means who has not perfected his knowledge by hearing from the bona fide source. He is called dvija-bandhu. And the śūdras have no facility, neither the woman has got the facility to go to the gurukula and become a brahmacārī and remain there and learn the Vedic literature. Because women were not allowed, neither could follow. It is not discrimination. It is actual fact by nature. There may be some exception, but by nature it is so fixed up. So for them, this Mahābhārata, greater history, or history of greater India, Mahābhārata...

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

If you try to understand Kṛṣṇa as far as possible, through the reliable sources, through the bona fide sources, then your Vedic study is going on in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.5 -- New York, January 7, 1967:

What is the purpose of Veda? The purpose of Veda is to understand Kṛṣṇa. That's all. If you can understand to some extent Kṛṣṇa, then your all Vedic studies finished. No more taking trouble. So we have to follow.

Now, here the great sage says that "I have consulted all the Vedic process, all the Vedic literature, and I see that bhagavad-ārādhana-vidhi: the only injunction is that, to worship the Supreme Lord." And similarly, in the Bhagavad-gītā it is confirmed by the Lord, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam: (BG 15.15) "By Vedic study means I. One has to understand Me. That's all." If you try to understand Kṛṣṇa as far as possible, through the reliable sources, through the bona fide sources, then your Vedic study is going on in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Festival Lectures

Simply by hearing the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, and the names of Kṛṣṇa diligently, submissively, and from a bona fide source, we can immediately get some relief from this material existence.
Janmastami Lord Sri Krsna's Appearance Day -- Montreal, August 16, 1968:

So simply by hearing the message of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and Bhagavad-gītā, and the names of Kṛṣṇa diligently, submissively, and from a bona fide source, we can immediately get some relief from this material existence. Just like when we were chanting here you could feel some ecstasy. Well, this ecstasy goes unlimitedly and infinitely, eternally, if one takes to it. It's not as if you reach some point of enlightenment and then you're enlightened. No. But it's always eternal, ever increasing. Just like the relationship between ourselves and our spiritual master is eternal and ever increasing, our relationship with God is the same. So please try to realize that this is a very serious movement, and we're not asking you to sign up or pay us anything, but simply to sincerely try it and you'll immediately feel some benefit.

General Lectures

Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu never recommended changing one's position of life, but He favored the process of hearing about Kṛṣṇa from the right, bona fide source.
Recorded Speech to Members of ISKCON London -- Los Angeles, December 23, 1968:

We have forgotten the ultimate goal of our life due to lack of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore our entire activity should be executed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness to revive our lost relationship with God, or Kṛṣṇa. We do not prohibit anyone to cease from the present occupational duties, but we simply recommend that he executes such duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu never recommended changing one's position of life, but He favored the process of hearing about Kṛṣṇa from the right, bona fide source. One should give up the artificial process of philosophical speculation to arrive at the real goal of life, but one should submissively hear about the philosophy of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which is generally inculcated in Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. If one submissively chants the mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, and hears the message of Kṛṣṇa as it is in the Bhagavad-gītā without any malinterpretation, then he does not have to change his position by some artificial method. Simply by the method of chanting and hearing, he comes to a transcendental position which will help him to know God, His name, His form, His quality, His pastimes, His paraphernalia, and so on.

Correspondence

1969 Correspondence

If he wants to know all these things, there is bona fide source for understanding these problems, providing he agrees to give a submissive aural reception to the respective authorities as much as he believes in the authoritative statements of Sir Isaac Newton.
Letter to Govinda -- Los Angeles 10 February, 1969:

In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna speaks about spirit soul from the very beginning. Unless one understands what is this spirit soul, his further advancement of the Supreme Spirit God has no value. So this gentleman is puzzled in his understanding about wherefrom we have come, what we are, and where we are going. But we are certain about it. So if he wants to know all these things, there is bona fide source for understanding these problems, providing he agrees to give a submissive aural reception to the respective authorities as much as he believes in the authoritative statements of Sir Isaac Newton. So either to accept the statements of Sir Isaac Newton or the statements of Lord Krishna, the beginning is a kind of faith. Unfortunately, these so-called scientific men can usually pin their faith on Sir Isaac Newton but not to the statements of Krishna or his representatives. So try to explain to him in this way.

Page Title:Bona fide source
Compiler:Subhadra, Visnu Murti, Laksmipriya
Created:18 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=3, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=4, Con=0, Let=1
No. of Quotes:8